Smith hoping for a rebound

LOS ANGELES At least in practice, forward Craig Smith has seemed to rediscover a level of joy. He’s smiling, and appears to have some jump back in his stride.

Whether this means the second-year forward will break out of his slump is anyone’s guess.

Hockey is a bottom-line business, and Smith needs to score. He has zero points through six games, and the Predators have benched him at times.

“It’s not going to make it any better being mad,” Smith said. “It’s better to try to have fun with it and that’s the best cure.”

Coach Barry Trotz said he talked with Smith, and hopes the conversation will yield results. The Predators were hoping Smith could slide into a top forward role this season. He had 36 points in 72 games as a rookie last season.

“We’ve had some productive talks and he’s doing a couple of things mentally to get things in order,” Trotz said.